


Mandy Knows Best

by flazy2



Series: Shameless One Shots [8]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Adorable, Cute, Death by fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Ring shopping, Sappy, curse words, happy feelings, they're in love, with some humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3116159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flazy2/pseuds/flazy2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>She squeals and launches herself at Ian, unable to contain her excitement. “You shithead! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”</em>
</p>
<p> <em>“I wanted to keep it a secret until I was absolutely sure,” he says into her shoulder.</em></p>
<p>  <em>Mandy pulls back to look him in the eye, quirking an eyebrow at him. “And are you?”</em></p>
<p>  <em>The look on Ian's face is one of pure adoration, “He’s all I want Mandy, and I want him forever.”</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Ian asks Mandy for help with something, she’s happy to help. When Mickey asks for help with the same thing, she can’t help but feel annoyed with these stupid boys.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mandy Knows Best

Mandy knows a lot of things; the proper way to use a baton to beat the shit out of someone, how to properly clean evidence from a car after using it as a weapon, and she knows that when it comes to her brother and her best friend, those fuckheads are stupidly in love. 

So when Ian comes to her asking for help with something, she doesn’t hesitate to say yes. He has asked her to meet him over on Third Street. She sees him standing on the sidewalk by himself, finishing up the remains of his cigarette. 

“Hey, Mands,” he says, greeting her with a hug as she walks up to him. “Thanks for meeting me.” 

“Yeah,” she says with a smile,” so what are we doing anyway?” she asks. 

Ian leans back against the building, stomping the cigarette butt with his boot. “I was hoping you could help me out.” He says shyly, a small smile on his face. 

“With what?” she asks. 

He tugs on his bottom lip with his thumb, a nervous tick he’d picked up from Mickey. They’d been together, officially, for nearly eight years. They had had their ups and downs, of which there were many, but they’d gotten to a good place. The two of them lived in a two-bedroom apartment by themselves, except when they Yev stay over with them for a few days. They were stable, they were happy. Which is why Ian had decided that after eight years together, he was ready to take the next step with Mickey. 

“I’m gonna ask Mickey to marry me, and I was hoping you could help me pick out a ring,” he rushes out. 

At first Mandy takes a second to let it sink in. _Brother. Friend. Marriage_. She squeals and launches herself at Ian, unable to contain her excitement. “You shithead! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” 

“I wanted to keep it a secret until I was absolutely sure,” he says into her shoulder. 

Mandy pulls back to look him in the eye, quirking an eyebrow at him. “And are you?” 

The look on Ian's face is one of pure adoration, “He’s all I want Mandy, and I want him forever.” 

In fact, Ian had been thinking about it for nearly a year. Almost every night that he lay next to Mickey, he couldn’t stop thinking about what the rest of their lives would be like together. He’d even subtly brought it up a few months ago by mentioning to Mickey that one of his coworkers had gotten engaged to her girlfriend. All Mickey had said in reply was _”good for them”_. But it wasn’t until just two months ago that he’d decided that if he was going to do it, he had to start saving money for the ring. And now that he had collected enough, it was time to bring Mandy in. 

She extricates herself from the redhead, “So when are you planning on asking?” 

“Our anniversary is in 13 days, so I figured it would be a good time to do it.” He shrugs his shoulders. 

Mandy rolls her eyes at that, “That’s fucking adorable.” She notices a jewelry shop across the street, pointing to it, she asks, “So is that where we’re going?” 

“Yeah, my coworker bought some rings for her and her girlfriend here a few months back and she recommended it.” He motions towards the shop, “Let’s see if they have anything good.” 

They’re greeted by a small blonde woman with a kind smile who looks to be in her late 20’s. “Are we just browsing, or are you looking for anything in particular?” 

“An engagement ring,” Ian says while eyeing the large display case in front of him. 

She turns towards Mandy, “Do you know what kind of size or cut you’re looking for?” 

“Oh, no no no,” Mandy says, “it’s for my brother.” She can’t help but feel a small pang of jealousy at the thought that this woman had assumed she and Ian were together and engaged to be married. Sure, years and years ago she had wished she could have had Ian to herself, but after seeing how happy both him and Mickey made each other, she’d had to rid herself of those feelings. He could never be hers, because he belonged to someone else. 

The woman, _Emily_ , her nametag says, turns back to Ian with a look of confusion, “You two don’t _look_ related.” 

Ian chuckles, “No, _her brother’s_ the one I’m asking to marry me.” 

“Oh.” Emily says, her cheeks redden, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.” 

“It’s fine.” Ian waves her off. 

She makes to change the subject, “So, these display cases over here have the selection we have for men.” She walks to the next case over, waving her hand at it and the one beside it. “We have them arranged by color.” 

Ian trails behind her, eyeing the rings under the glass as he walks alongside the display case. His gaze catches on a silver band near the back of the case; it’s simple with a thick, brushed design across the center of the band, with polished sides that continue to the inside of the ring. 

He places his hand on the glass, warmed from the display lights inside. “Can I see that one?” he points to the ring. 

Emily slides the door to the case open and reaches inside to pluck the ring from where it sits on the black velvet tray amongst other similar colored ones. She hands him the ring and allows him a closer look. 

He turns it around with his fingers, feeling the brushed texture on the outside and the smooth polished inside. Mandy lifts herself on her heels to get a closer look over his shoulder. “What do you think?” he asks her. 

“It’s nice, but I don’t know if it’s very Mickey,” she replies. 

He places the ring on his own finger, staring at it in between his other fingers. “I kinda like it though.” 

Emily steps forward again, breaking him from his thoughts. “We also have it in black; would you like to see it?” 

Ian nods his head, using the thumb on his left hand to rub the band on his finger, making it circle around it. Emily opens the adjoining case and takes a ring from inside. Ian removes the silver ring and hands it back to her as she hands him the black band. 

He looks it over, turning it around slowly. It does indeed look exactly like the silver ring he was looking at before, only in black. It had the same brushed metal look around the center and polished sides. “It’s…”

“…perfect.” Mandy finishes. It had only taken two rings to find the perfect one; it must have been some sort of record. She looks back up at Ian, “Well that was easy.” 

“I’ll take it,” he says, handing the ring back to Emily. 

She accepts the ring back and closes the display case, “Do you know his ring size? We can have it sized for you if you’d like, it’s included in the price.” 

“10,” Ian says. 

“How do _you_ know that?” Mandy side-eyes him. 

“I measured him a few days ago while he was asleep,” he rubs the back of his neck with his hand, obvious embarrassment showing on his face; “we’re actually the same size.” 

“That is the gayest thing I’ve ever heard,” Mandy says with a blank stare. 

  


* * *

  


Two days later Mickey shows up to Mandy’s apartment just as she’s sitting down to eat lunch and watch Netflix. 

“What?” she asks annoyed, as she opens the door. 

He pushes past her to get inside, “Nice to see you too, Mands.” He sits in the spot she had just been sitting in, so instead she takes the seat next to Mickey and slides her sandwich away from him and towards where she sits now. 

Well, if she wasn’t annoyed before. “What do you want?” She notices that he looks nervous, his hands rubbing together as if he were trying to create heat between them. 

“I-” he sighs. 

He takes a deep breath, and looks her right in the eye. “I’m gonna ask Ian to marry me.” 

“Wait, _what_?” she asks incredulously. 

“I just figure I don’t see us being with anyone else, at least not anymore. And he thinks he’s being subtle by dropping hints about his coworkers getting engaged. I’m pretty sure that’s his stupid way of telling me he wants to. And I do too.” He finishes with a shrug. 

Well shit, Mandy had been so excited when Ian had told her about his plans, but now all she could think of was that these assholes had been together this long and all of a sudden they both decide to propose to each other, at the same damn time. 

“That’s great Mickey.” She leans over so she can give him a hug. They still don’t really do this very often, they’re usually reserved for holidays and special events, and this one definitely falls into the second category. 

After a few moments Mickey clears his throat and pulls away. 

“So when are you gonna ask him?” Mandy questions, but she already has an idea of what his answer will be. 

“11 days, on our anniversary,” he says, picking up her sandwich to take a bite. 

_Of-fucking-course_ , she thinks to herself. 

  


* * *

  


The next day Mickey meets Mandy at her apartment, having told Ian that he’s helping her move a shelf. 

As they head out, Mandy asks him if he has any jewelry stores in mind. He says no, that he was just hoping to check out the first one they came across, because of course, it’s Mickey. 

“One of my coworkers recommended this cute little jewelry shop on Third.” She says nonchalantly. 

Mickey rolls his eyes, “By all means. Let’s go check out the cute little shop on Third,” he says sarcastically. 

They set out to the jewelry shop, walking side by side. Mandy wonders what the chances are that the same saleswoman is working today. 

When they enter the store, they’re greeted by the same blonde lady that had helped her and Ian a few days earlier. She gives Mandy a knowing look and asks if she can help them. 

Mandy decides to take charge, “My brother’s looking for an engagement ring for his boyfriend,” she says, motioning her hand at Mickey. 

A look of understanding passes on her face. “Ah, I see. Is there a certain style in particular you’re interested in?” 

“Not really, just kinda looking,” he says. 

“Well our men’s section is right over here in these two displays,” she motions at the two cases beside her, “let me know if you have any questions.” 

Mickey spends the next 20 minutes looking at ring after ring, none of them really looking right. “See anything good?” he asks Mandy. 

“What about this one?” she asks, pointing to a ring at the back of one of the cases. He makes his way over to her to take a closer look. The saleswoman appears behind the case that Mandy’s at. 

“Can we see this one?” Mandy asks her. 

She opens the case from behind, reaching inside to grab the desired ring and hands it to Mickey. 

It’s a silver ring with a brushed texture design around the middle of the band, the rest of the ring polished smooth. “Do you think he’d like it?” he asks Mandy, turning the ring around in his hand. 

“I really do,” she replies softly. 

He imagines seeing the ring on Ian’s finger every day, symbolizing their commitment and love to each other, and he doesn’t stop the smile from appearing on his face. “I’ll take it.” He hands the ring back to the saleswoman. 

She accepts the ring, “We can have this sized for you if you know his ring size.” 

“Uh…” Mickey says. 

Mandy can see the look of panic in his eyes, without thinking she blurts out, “He’s a size 10.” 

Mickey turns to her in confusion, “How do _you_ know?” 

She silently curses herself for the slip-up. She lies, “Sometimes we like to have fun by browsing for jewelry and pretending we’re fancy-rich.” 

“That’s stupid,” Mickey looks at her skeptically, “you guys are weird.” 

  


* * *

  


Mandy decides that she has to act, both Ian and Mickey think they’re going to be proposing to the other on their anniversary, and while she thinks that’s hilarious, a small part also thinks she needs to let them know so they can make their own informed decision and deal with the matter themselves, and right now that part’s winning. 

She sighs heavily to herself; those two will be the death of her, and goddammit it, she expects to outlive _both_ those fuckers. 

  


* * *

  


The day of Mickey and Ian’s anniversary arrives; Mandy decides to head over to their apartment to help make them a home cooked meal while they’re both still at work. She lets herself into their apartment, carrying the bag of groceries as she does so. She spends the next hour and a half or so making a pot roast and assorted veggies, it is one Mickey’s favorite meals that she cooks. 

While the food cooks in the oven, she cleans up the dishes she used and sets the table so everything will be ready when they arrive. 

Once the food is done, she transfers everything to a serving dish and places it in the center of the table. 

It’s while she’s lighting the two candles she’d brought that Ian gets home. “Ian?” she calls from the dining area. 

“Mandy? What are you doing here?” he yells from the living room. 

She makes her way into the living room to see Ian removing his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. “I made dinner for you guys. You know, for your anniversary.” 

“Thanks Mandy, that’s sweet,” he envelopes her in a hug. “We have reservations at a restaurant, but this is better, more personal. I had actually been rethinking proposing there, I’m still not 100% sure he wouldn’t punch me in the face if I did that in public. 

“Better not chance it,” she says. 

The front door opens once more, Mickey makes his way into the apartment, but stops when he sees Mandy is there too. 

“The hell are you doing here?” he asks. 

“She made dinner for us, Mick.” Ian says as he walks over to his soon-to-be fiancé and gives him a kiss. “Say ‘Thank you Mandy.’” 

_“Thank you Mandy_ ,” he says mockingly. 

“You’re welcome, shithead. Both of you sit down, I want to talk to you about something.” She takes the loveseat for herself and motions them to the couch. 

Ian mock gasps, clutching his hand to his chest, “Are you breaking up with us?” 

“You wish.” She says, slapping his knee. 

“Actually, it’s something else.” She had practiced beforehand so she knew what she was going to say. She gave them both a pointed look. “You know that thing you asked me to help you with a week and a half ago? That life-changing thing that’s happening tonight?” 

Ian and Mickey glance at each other, both hoping the other had no idea what they had planned. _“Mandy!”_ they both hiss out together. 

“Yeah, well it turns out you both asked me for help with the same thing, and I know somehow you fuckers will make this out to be my fault. So I’m removing myself from the equation. _You guys_ deal with it.” She stands and grabs her purse from the end table. “Dinners on the table for later, and make sure you two take a break every now and then to hydrate.” 

The two men look at each other, taking in Mandy’s words; they realize that they had both planned the same thing for tonight. 

Mandy makes her way to the front door, not bothering to turn around as she bids them farewell, calling out, “Later homos.” 

  


* * *

  


They continue to stare at each other, until Mickey breaks the silence. “You were gonna propose?” 

“Yeah,” Ian says tentatively, “were you?” 

“Yeah. I even got a ring for you,” Mickey replies bashfully. 

“You- you got me a ring?” A smile breaks out on Ian’s face, and god Mickey can’t stop staring at it, like if he does the world as he knows it might end. “I got you one too.” 

Mickey blinks, because he hadn’t realized Ian had been this prepared too. 

“You wanna see it?” Ian asks. 

Mickey nods. 

Ian stands and makes his way into the bedroom, reaching under the bed to grab the box from its hiding place in the little shelf formed by the wood of the bed frame. He pulls out the small black box with the jeweler’s emblem on the lid and returns to the couch, handing Mickey the box. 

Mickey looks at the box and chuckles; he sets it down on Ian’s knee and goes to the bedroom to collect his own box. He opens the bottom drawer of their dresser, the one that had initially started out as Mickey’s sock and underwear drawer, but since their clothing had eventually ended up getting mixed up, they had used Ian’s underwear drawer as the place where both of their underwear lived. Mickey’s drawer devolved into the place where all their old clothing went to die, or where the single socks with no mates lived. Even after all this time they still never got around to emptying it out of all the useless articles of clothing, which made it the perfect hiding place for Ian’s ring. Mickey pulls the drawer out completely and pushes aside the shirt that he’d balled up in front of the box. Grabbing it, he shuts the drawer and makes his way back to Ian. He sets his own box with Ian’s ring on his other knee. 

“We went to the same place?” Ian muses. 

“Looks like it,” Mickey replies. 

Ian picks up the box with Mickey’s ring and hands it to him. “Open it.” 

Mickey takes the box and opens it up; he sees a ring very similar to the one he had gotten for Ian, except in black instead of silver. 

Ian picks up the other box and opens it up; he’s shocked to see the exact ring he had picked up at the jewelry store. The silver version of the one he’d gotten Mickey. “This is the one I wanted,” he says, looking up at Mickey with tears in his eyes. “How did you know?” 

“Fuckin’ Mandy,” Mickey says. 

Ian looks at the ring, turning it over in his hand. “Fuckin’ Mandy.” He glances back at Mickey; his heart melts at the expression on his face. It’s one of pure love and adoration, like he wants nothing more than to stare at Ian for the rest of his life. 

They both break the silence at the same time. 

“So I think-”

“Do you want to-”

They smile affectionately at each other. 

“So who gets to do it?” Ian asks. 

“Can I do it?” Mickey bites his lip, looks awkwardly down at his hands. “Can I ask?” 

Ian nods slowly, handing the box with his ring in it to Mickey. He takes the silver band out of the box, holding it between index finger and thumb, his hand shaking slightly. 

“Ian, the first time I met you, I had no idea we would ever get here. We have been through so much, good and bad. And even after all of that shit, I never thought I could have this,” he gestures at the room with the hand that’s holding the ring, “any of this, with you or with anyone, really. But being with you has made me realize that I _could_ have it; that I _do_ want it.” 

Mickey pauses, taking a moment to look Ian straight in the eye, “You made me want to be a better person for you,” his voice breaks on the last word. 

Ian takes Mickey’s hands in his own, “You’re perfect, Mickey,” he says softly

“Sometimes I still can’t believe that you picked me.” Mickey removes his hands from Ian’s; moving off the couch to kneel in front of him, he takes the ring from his palm and holds it between his fingers. “Will you pick me one more time and marry me?” 

Mickey can feel his heart threating to break out of his ribcage, as he looks at Ian, waiting for an answer. 

Ian surges forward, pressing a kiss to his mouth, holding both sides of his face with his hands, “Of course I will, Mickey, I’d pick you every time.” 

Mickey takes the ring from the box and places it on Ian’s ring finger, looking up he sees the redhead with an enormous smile, face full of many different emotions-awe, happiness, pride, excitement, _love_ -and Mickey thinks he’s never seen anything so beautiful before. 

Ian rubs his thumbs across _his fiancé’s_ cheeks lovingly, staring into his eyes, seeing the moisture collecting within. “I wanna do it too.” 

Mickey nods, “Yeah, okay.” 

Ian pulls away from Mickey, bringing him up to sit next to him on the couch. He takes a deep breath and starts, “Mick, I love you so fucking much. You have given me everything I could ever ask for. Even after all that shit we went through back then, you still stuck around, when you really didn’t have to.” Mickey places his hand on the redhead’s knee and strokes small circles into it, Ian knows that Mickey hates it when he bring that stuff up. “But you did, and I am so fucking thankful for that. _I’m_ lucky that you picked me too.” 

Ian moves to kneel on the floor in front of his boyfriend-no, _fiancé_ -and opens the small black box, holding it out in front of him. “Mickey Milkovich, will you be my husband?” 

Mickey rubs at his nose, a look of mock indifference on his face. “I dunno, man...” 

_“Mickey!”_ Ian shouts with a laugh. 

He rolls his eyes, as if he really had any other answer at this point, “Yes, _Ian Gallagher_ , I will.” 

And-oh, Mickey saying his name, even in such a sarcastic way, still gave him butterflies in his stomach. He takes the ring out of the box and places it on the older man’s ring finger. This time the kiss is anything but soft. 

They kiss hard and urgent; pouring all the love and passion they’re feeling into the kiss. 

  


* * *

  


The next Morning, Mandy knocks on Ian and Mickey’s door, deciding not to let herself in for fear of seeing any number of things that frankly she had no desire to see, _again_. After a few minutes, a shirtless Ian opens the door to let her in. 

“So, how did everything go last night?” she asks with a wiggle of her eyebrows. She throws herself onto the larger couch, head against the armrest, her long, dark locks cascading over it, and one leg across the back of the couch, the other on the seat cushions, like a lady. 

“Good, really good.” He says with a smile, taking a seat on the loveseat next to Mandy. 

“Where’s Mickey?” she questions. 

“Still asleep,” Ian says, “I think I wore him out.” 

“Okay, _no_.” Mandy shudders at the thought, “And how was the dinner?” 

“Uh…” he says, glancing over to the table in the dining area. 

She follows his gaze, finding the entire meal exactly as she had left it, untouched, with the candles completely melted down to the base. “Are you shitting me? I slaved over a hot oven for an hour and a half for you fuckheads. Is this how you guys manage to stay so goddamn skinny? By putting _other_ things inside of you instead of actual food?” 

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, feeling the chill of the room against his bare skin. 

That’s when Mandy notices the silver ring on his left hand. “So who ended up doing the asking?” She lifts her head to get a better look. 

He glances down at his own hand, rolling the silver band around his finger with his thumb. “Actually, we both did.” 

Mandy throws her head back on the armrest, “Oh my god, I take it back, _that’_ s the gayest thing I’ve ever heard.” She shakes her head at these stupid idiots and sighs. 

Mandy knows a lot of things; never accept a drink from a stranger unless you watched the bartender pour it, always bring a pocket knife wherever you go, and that her best friend and her brother are completely and irrevocably in love. 

**Author's Note:**

> For those that need a visual (I did) : [Ian’s ring](http://i.imgur.com/iXEhnvw.jpg) and [Mickey’s ring](http://i.imgur.com/9MHVs8P.jpg)


End file.
